Imam Javad's (AS) Scientific Contributions

The Imam was the true source of divine knowledge in Islamic society. He was referred to by many to answer questions regarding various aspects of Islamic sciences. The names of 193 individuals who had narrated Hadith from the Imam are still available. The Imam had also trained multiple notable scholars. These scholars had a special role in preserving and spreading the Imam’s narrations. They were not only scholars in the Islamic knowledge, but were also unique in piety and character.
Ali ibn Mahziar was one of the Imam’s notable companions who was also his representative in Ahvaz. He was a great scholar of Islamic law. He authored 33 books on various topics in Islamic law and belief. Multiple letters of communication between him and the Imam are recorded in history. These letters show his special status and respect in the eyes of Imam Javad. The Imam frequently expressed his satisfaction and approval for Ali ibn Mahziar and prayed for him. Fazl ibn Shazan was another great companion of Imam Javad. He was a master in various Islamic fields, such as the Islamic law and Ilm al-Kalam, which is the study of Islamic doctrine for defending Islamic principles against skeptics. He had authored dozens of books on various topics, such as defending the Shia belief and falsifying the claims of other sects and theologies. Abd al-Azim al-Hasani, who was from the descendants of Imam Hasan, was another notable companion of Imam Javad. A few of the Imam’s companions were also among the eighteen companions of “As-haab-e-Ejma”, or “the Companions of the Consensus”, whose narrations are currently regarded in the seminaries with the highest level of trust. Safwan ibn Yahya was one of the companions of “As-haab-e-Ejma” who authored around 30 books, 11 of which have survived until today. He had narrated hundreds of Hadiths from the Shia Imams, including Imam Javad.
Ma’mun had realized that Imam Javad belonged to a family that was blessed with divine knowledge. He had tested Imam Reza’s knowledge in Merv by holding multiple debate sessions between him and the top Islamic and non-Islamic scholars of the time. Ma’mun had realized that he could not defeat Imam Reza in any scientific debate. Instead, the news of the Imam’s victory in the debates had spread across the Islamic territory and had led to even more popularity and respect for the Imam. Ma’mun also verified Imam Javad’s knowledge in his first meeting with him on the streets of Baghdad. He later witnessed the Imam’s knowledge in responding to the questions raised by Yahya ibn Aktham, the chief justice of Baghdad. Thus, Ma’mun did not attempt to challenge Imam Javad’s knowledge in public debates, unlike what he did to Imam Reza in the past. Instead, he had to find a way to distract the Muslims from the Imam and his divine knowledge. He had established a good relationship with the neighboring countries as a policy to overcome the internal problems in his government, such as the war with Amin and the Alavid uprisings.